The present invention relates to gun rests, and more particularly, to gun rests for sighting rifles and handguns.
Gun rests are useful tools for accurately sighting rifles and handguns. Accurate sighting and adjustment of the gun sights is especially critical for long-range sport and competitive shooting. In long range shooting, even very minor variations in gun or cartridge setup can make a significant difference in bullet location, so it is especially important for the gun rest used to be stable and produce consistent results every time the gun is fired. It is also necessary for the gun rest to allow comfortable and consistent positioning of the operator in order to produce consistent results.
In the past, sand bags placed on a stable bench or other support surface have provided a suitable tool for sighting guns. With increased gun performance and range, more sophisticated devices utilizing support stands and vices have become common.
An example of a gun sighting device is given in U.S. Pat. No. 5,070,636. The sighting assembly comprises a longitudinally extending frame for attachment to a conventional table or bench. A barrel rest assembly and a stock receiving cradle are attached to the frame for support of the gun. Multiple resilient absorption features absorb shock as the weapon is fired.
While theses and other gun rest devices provide support for the gun, they fail to fully provide allowance for comfortable and repeatable positioning of the shooter when using the device.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest that allows consistent and stable positioning of the operator while using the gun rest to improve repeatability of shooting conditions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest that may be mounted securely to a stable platform such as a shooting table or bench.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest that provides stable support of the fore stock and butt stock of the gun.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest that allows independent adjustment of the height of the butt stock support and the fore stock height above the support surface.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest that provides elevation and windage adjustments to the fore stock rest.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest that proves a low slung support beam to provide sufficient clearance between the gun receiver portion and the support beam to allow loading or replacement of magazines.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest that proves longitudinal adjustment of the butt stock support to allow use with various gun designs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest that may be used with handguns, pistols or rifles.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest that folds up or is easily disassembled for convenient storage.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest having components that are easily removed for storage or replacement.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a gun rest that is durable and is simple to manufacture.
The gun rest of the present invention comprises a fore stock support assembly and a butt stock support assembly connected by an elongated longitudinal connecting beam. A first end portion of the connecting beam is pivotally connected to the fore stock support assembly. The butt stock support assembly is attached to the second end portion of the connecting beam. A butt stock height adjustment means connected to the connecting beam allows independent adjustment of the height of the butt stock and the fore stock of the gun.
In the preferred embodiments, the fore stock support assembly comprises a tripod leg assembly and an adjustable fore stock rest assembly. The adjustable fore stock rest assembly comprises an elevation height adjustment screw, a windage adjustment screw, and a fore stock rest. The butt stock support assembly comprises a U or V-shaped butt stock rest connected by a vertical post or rest extension to the connecting beam. The connecting beam is pivotally connected to the aft leg of the tripod near the bottom of the leg. In this manner, the connecting beam is sufficiently below the butt stock and receiver portion to allow unobstructed access to the trigger and magazines of the rifle.
In the preferred embodiments, the but stock height adjustment means is an adjustment screw threaded into complementary threads of the connecting beam so the end of the adjustment screw contacts the support surface. In other embodiments, the butt height adjustment means can be a cam or lever height adjuster, a scissors-type height adjuster or other type of linear actuator. In still other embodiments, the butt stock height adjustment means is a pivot locking device which locks the connecting beam in the desired position relative to the fore stock support assembly. The legs of the tripod leg assembly comprise hold down screw holes or slots to allow clamping of the legs to a bench or table to provide stable support of the device.
In the preferred embodiments, a butt stock support longitudinal position adjustment means provides a method for adjusting the longitudinal position of the butt stock support along the connecting beam. Longitudinal adjustment of the butt stock rest allows a wide variety of guns to be used with the device.